Putin spoke about the situation with the American destroyer near the Crimea in 2014

The situation with the approach to the Crimea in spring 2014, the USS Donald Cook cannot be compared with the Caribbean crisis, when the world was on the brink of nuclear disaster, said Russian President Vladimir Putin in an interview with Director Oliver stone in the film shown on television channel Showtime.

The destroyer Donald Cook was sent to the Black sea in the Crimean Peninsula, immediately after the reunification of the Crimea with Russia in 2014. He is armed with two launchers system «aegis», which allow you to carry up to 56 cruise missiles «Tomahawk» with nuclear warheads. After the approach of the destroyer to the Crimea, Russia withdrew its coastal missile complex «Bastion-P» and included a radar system intelligence «Monolith-B». Donald Cook was in the area of defeat supersonic missile «Yakhont». After the ship departed from the coast towards the Bosphorus. A month later, Russian su-24 bomber several times flew in the immediate vicinity of the destroyer at a low altitude, which caused a negative reaction in the Pentagon.

«But I still would not compare it with the Cuban missile crisis. Because that’s where the world stood on the brink of nuclear catastrophe. But here, thank God, we are to such a situation was not possible. Although we have put in Crimea our latest coastal defense «Bastion». We always have permission to use available means of protection and defense. What does «Donald cook» outside our territory? Someone who provokes? We are determined to defend their territory,» Putin said.

The Russian President said that «the commander saw, for sure, radiation from the missile complex», «on the appliances shows that the ship irradiated».

«I don’t know the man, but he’s Mature, responsible and quite a brave officer. He made the right decision. Did not aggravate the situation, to provoke, to bring the situation to the absurd and collision. This does not mean that he would be subjected to missile attack, but they had to see that the coast is protected», — said Putin.

According to the President, Russia «adjusted to a line». «Moreover, I say, we were ready for a positive dialogue to reach a political way worthy of this situation. No, I had to be sure to support the unconstitutional seizure of power. Why? I still don’t understand why it was done,» — concluded Putin.